Pride Month: Hello Tom!

At Duetto, we take great pride in our diverse team, made up of individuals from various backgrounds. We actively encourage the free exchange of experiences and ideas, fostering an atmosphere of growth and support for all our team members. Our commitment to inclusivity is a core value we hold dear - we embrace the motto "Come as you are."

As we celebrate Pride Month, we want to take this opportunity to connect with and learn from our LGBTQI+ community within Duetto. By engaging with them, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of their unique experiences and perspectives as valued members of our team.

Let's take a moment to meet these incredible individuals and celebrate their contributions to our Duetto family!

Meet Tomos Jones

Tomos or Tom (he, him) joined Duetto in January 2020 - right at the outbreak of the pandemic. He shared his concern over this decision, as he knew he needed to work extra hard to prove his value during such times. However, he believes his efforts truly paid off. Three years later he is one of our Duetto Revenue Drivers with a huge and diverse portfolio of customers. In his role as Senior Customer Success Manager, he engages in conversations with each of his assigned clients to make sure their ideas become reality and are modified, improved, and executed in the best way possible. No two days are the same for him, which is what he truly loves about Duetto and his job specifically. 

Before joining the team, Tom gained a wealth of experience in the hospitality sector - from working at the front desk through to revenue management positions in big brands, such as Marriott and Hilton. After that, he moved to Easy Hotels - a Duetto client. He may have started on the other side of the relationship but is now happily helping revenue managers who are in the position he once was at. 

When he has some spare time, his full attention is required by the real boss at the house - his and his boyfriend’s dog Lila! Although a little pug, she requires substantial walks and is a big fan of delicious treats. Tom’s other big passion is traveling. He is a true master of tier points, and collecting air miles has become a passion, and to support this he is extra organized! Having spreadsheets with all details for the next few trips helps him to keep track of his plans, and each year he sets himself the task of retaining Oneworld Emerald status.

Let's get to know him better!

What is it like being a member of the LGBTQI+ community and working at Duetto? 

It's a known thing, if that makes sense. I've worked at places where I've constantly felt like every time somebody joins, you have to be coming out again. At Duetto, I just don't need to explain myself. I don't feel like there is any judgment, and I don't feel like there's a need to constantly be making sure the people around me are comfortable. It’s the case that I live my life the way that works for me, and it's accepted by everyone.

Does Duetto foster an inclusive work environment? If so, how?

Absolutely! I'm trying to think of examples but as I said, my being gay does not have any impact on my work life. It's just not even a consideration, which just makes life easy. We also had a Pride Channel, where we used to share information like podcasts that we like to listen to, TV series that are going on, etc. It took a back seat during Covid, but the channel is now back and engagement is growing. 

One of our company values is ‘Come as you are’. What does that mean for you personally? And how do you see that represented by your work colleagues? 

It's more of an “acceptance by default”. You don't have to explain who you are. You don't have to explain anything about yourself that you're not willing to share. It's just a general acceptance.

I'm proud to be part of the LGBTQI+ community. At the end of the day it's what makes me special, and the team respects me for that. I bring a different perspective, and that is ok. It's reassuring to know my point of view is listened to.

Tell us about the best day you’ve ever had working at Duetto.

There was this one time we were onboarding quite a complex customer - a hostel property. We needed to build a very complex segmentation principle for them to make sure Duetto was working the right way. At some point our team, and possibly even Sales, thought it was an impossible task, but we didn’t give up. We kept the ideas coming in and after multiple tests it finally worked. That’s when I was ready to give myself a pat on the back. Many people believed that was an impossible job, but I proved to them nothing’s impossible with Duetto and our team.

How will you be celebrating throughout Pride month this June?

It’s actually my brother’s 40th birthday this year which coincides with London Pride, so I won't be in London to celebrate. In the past, I’ve been lucky enough to march with friends as part of the parade. After all, pride is a protest despite the party. However, each June Brockwell Park in London hosts Mighty Hoopla - a totally camp day festival. It's a regular on my social calendar, and luckily I don't live too far away, so I’ll be attending that for sure!

What opportunities do you see ahead for you at Duetto?

I have a large portfolio of customers now, so hopefully, I’ll progress into an Associate Director soon. If this happens, I’d most likely take over a specific region and will have people reporting to me, which will be exciting. Whilst I've been involved in training people, I’ve never been responsible in terms of day-to-day management, so it'd be exciting to grow my own skill set. So generally, I see myself staying within Customer Success for the time being.

What would you say to others considering a role at our company?

Why wouldn't you? It’s incredible to be here and no two days are ever the same. Everyone is very accepting of who you are, regardless of anything, and it's just a great place to work at. (There's also a secret karaoke club no one’s supposed to know about…).

This blog post is part of our Duetto Pride Month blog series. Enjoyed learning more about Tom? Then check out our previous blogs and hear what Whitney and Flavia had to share. 

Want to join a team that recognizes talent and believes in rewarding on merit alone? Check out our Careers Page for our current openings.